


Aetherium

by IAmOnlyPartlyMajestic



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Based off fanart I made, Billy is Sheeta, Castle in the Sky!AU, Gen, Just wanted to draw floating Billy, Loss, M/M, Magic, Magical Realism, Post-Season/Series 03, Reunions, Steve is Pazu, first time writing for Stranger Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25453807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmOnlyPartlyMajestic/pseuds/IAmOnlyPartlyMajestic
Summary: “Billy...let me teach you a spell. One that will help you when you’re in trouble.”That perked him awake, “A spell?”His mother's smile faltered, “I only hope you would never have to use it.”
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Billy Hargrove's Mother, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Kudos: 18





	Aetherium

**Author's Note:**

> I made the art as one long comic strip all the way back in February after rewatching Castle in the Sky. I knew I wanted to write something for it...I just didn't know it would take me almost half a year to do so ^_^'' 
> 
> *sigh* I miss Billy.

_“She was really pretty.”_

Billy doesn’t know when he forgot his mother, but he remembers _why_. He wanted to repress the pain of abandonment, betrayal, loneliness….

If he forgot her fond smile, her golden hair, the crinkle of her eyes when she laughed, there’d be nothing left for him to miss. To wish for. To love. 

To beg for when he suffered under the cruel hands of his father. 

His mother left him. No number to call, no address to write to. No way of even knowing if she was still alive, but all the same, he buried her deep within the recesses of his mind like a decaying corpse. To hide the sweet smell of her favorite perfume like it was the sour stench of rotting flesh. 

It took so long, but he did it.

He forgot her. 

Until the end. 

_“She was really pretty...and you were so happy.”_

Until the fresh smell of the ocean breeze, the gritty texture of sand beneath his feet and his mother’s young yet strong figure were dragged back to the forefront of the battle. A beacon of light driving away the darkness and its gross tentacle grasp. 

Billy hates that he’s grateful towards Max’s friend or towards anyone at all. But he wouldn’t exchange it for anything, not if it meant that monster won. 

However...

That young girl unlocked something else...something about Billy’s mother that the young man didn’t even know existed. 

The way the blue of her eyes sometimes shone unnaturally, a glistening blue that flashed when his parents argued a bit too ferociously. 

How just the touch of her fingers brought to life everything around her, a “green thumb” she had called it.

The chime of her voice that seemed to have sway on everyone she talked to. A sway she somehow held over Billy’s father until it stopped working. 

Now that Billy thinks about it, that must have been when it started. The night she realized her pleas began to reach deafened, uncaring ears was when she knew she had to leave. 

She had sat seven year old Billy on her lap and hugged him tightly. 

“Billy...let me teach you a spell.” 

Up past his bedtime, sleepy Billy almost didn’t hear his mother’s whispering, only the urgent tone beneath her words preventing him from completely dozing off.

“One that will help you when you’re in trouble.”

That perked him awake, “A spell?”

“Yes, sweetheart. An ancient, secret spell.” She brought her mouth closer to the little boy’s ear. Billy giggled softly when her warm breath tickled, but he calmed himself quickly, eager to listen. “Lite Latuparita Ulus...Aria Los Balu Netoreel.”

Billy furrowed his brows, confused, “Leetay La…”

His mother smiled warmly and cradled his cheek within her palm, “The words mean ‘Save me, and revive the eternal light’.” Her smile faltered, “I only hope you would never have to use them.”

They had practiced the words well beyond midnight until Billy could stay awake no longer. Even then, he would practice in secret, hushed mumbling whenever his father wasn’t home. Young Billy had the spell ingrained in his heart.

But then his mother ran away, only leaving behind her most treasured family ring. Although Billy kept the memento, he threw away her lingering traces from his mind.

Perhaps, that’s why he forgot the spell until now. 

In the cold suffocating Russian facility he’s been imprisoned in, Billy whispers the spell.

“Lite Latuparita Ulus Aria Los Balu Netoreel.”

Having since lost his childhood naivety, Billy doesn’t expect the spell to actually work. But immediately after the last syllable is uttered, his mother’s ring still strapped around his neck begins to glow. Blue energy splashes outward from its small gem, startling Billy. He only keeps himself from shouting in fear when the surge of power turns to soothing waves and it almost feels like he’s floating in the ocean. 

The room he’s in starts to shake, gradually becoming stronger and causing Billy to topple to his knees. The sound of angry Russian screaming is all Billy hears before the previously locked door in front of him bursts open. The asshole that barges in lunges at Billy but before the young man could defend himself, his kidnapper gets blasted back by the ring’s energy current. 

“Holy shit.” Billy gasps out and looks down at the floating ring. He doesn’t take the time to marvel at it any longer however, as he could hear more voices incoming, and just bolts out of the cell in the opposite direction from the yelling. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” His chanting punctuating each of his footsteps and keeping his internal freak out at bay. He has no idea where the hell he’s going but away from his prison seems to be the right idea. His surroundings only consist of bare metal walls and railings. Every door he comes across is locked digitally with numerical keypads. All throughout his escape, the ring continues to glow. Not as much as it did earlier— _Thank God!_ —so it doesn’t make a trail. 

However, his running leads to fuck all as he takes a wrong turn and ends up in a room filled with soldiers who all lift their guns. 

“Goddammit!” Billy reluctantly raises his hands and sneers. The man in front smirks and cocks his gun, nodding at his compatriots and then pointedly at the young blonde.

However, before the other soldiers could get closer, a low timbered growl rumbles behind Billy. The familiar sound causes Billy’s blood to rush out of his face, his skin to turn cold, and his body to tremble. 

He’s too afraid to turn around, to confirm what he knows. It’s back. Whatever the fuck that took him over is back from the dead and right behind him. 

The Russian man loses his cockiness and orders his soldiers to shoot at the monster, no longer caring about taking Billy alive. 

Billy just barely dives out of the way of the barrage of bullets, his limbs flailing as he tries to keep his balance to rush back out of the room. He ignores the howls of pain coming from the Russians as the four-legged monster attacks them, not paying attention to Billy’s escape.

Unfortunately, that piece of shit isn’t alone. More mawed beasts arise from the hallways adjacent to the path he’s going and notice him. 

He just survived getting fucking shish kebab-ed by a giant man-eating plant, he’s not going to die again! 

But of course, just as he thinks this, he loses his footing and lands face first on the hard floor. He bites out a curse. 

He tries to stand, but he must have twisted his ankle and could only crawl ahead. His fingers go numb from having to drag his body forward. 

More growling. 

More yelling.

Billy sobs. 

“Li-Lite Latu...parita Ulus...Aria Los Balu...” 

Billy’s last thought is of Hawkins. If he were to die, it should have been then when he welcomed it. Not when he still had one last shred of hope left to trample. 

“...Netoreel.”

The cerulean hue envelops him once more. 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50141711943/in/dateposted-public/)

~O~ 

The chilling breeze pierces through Steve’s bones, making him shiver. He buries his face into the collar of his jacket and his hands into his pockets to keep warm.

It doesn’t help.

“Um…” Steve brushes his hand through his hair, “...hi?” He clears his throat. 

He’s in front of Billy’s grave again. 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50142488292/in/dateposted-public/)

“Max is doing okay…well, not really.” Dammit, Steve! He’s literally talking to a piece of stone and he still fucks it up somehow. “I-I mean she’s doing much better than fine! She’s laughing more, hanging out with the other kids.” Steve forces out a laugh that trails off awkwardly and follows the fog of his breath. 

Why is he saying all this? He knows Max visits every day. She doesn’t go through the hesitant should-he-shouldn’t-he argument that Steve does before he ultimately does come back here, anyway. And she probably tells Billy the same thing—has _more_ to say, really. 

He shakes his head, “...sorry, I just. I just don’t know what to talk about.” Ugh, why is Steve here in the first place? Why does he keep coming back? He never gave a shit about Billy when he was alive.

He doesn’t deserve to be here, he was nothing to Billy. Hell, if anything, Billy doesn’t deserve Steve. 

Billy beat Steve up, was an asshole to Max and the others, just wanted Steve’s useless king status, just wanted—

Just needed someone on his side. 

Steve’s eyes start burning and unbidden, a memory replays. 

Max, with Billy in tow, had visited Steve at Scoops Ahoy during a random summer afternoon. Steve had hidden in the back, abandoning Robin at the checkout as soon as he noticed Billy’s golden locks through the glass window. He’d feel sorry for subjecting Robin to Billy’s douchebag version of small talk, but Steve did not want to deal with him during work (or anytime at all, really). 

But to Steve’s surprise, he didn’t have to worry about his friend. Billy was perfectly friendly, not hitting on Robin, or being a dick to his sister. For the first time since Steve’s met him, Billy’s smile didn’t make Steve want to deck him in the face. 

It must have been a good day then. 

“Fuck.” Steve hiccups and presses the back of his hand against his mouth to stifle any more sounds. It was just an ordinary day, and he had practically forgotten the encounter that same night. He has no idea why remembering it makes him want to cry. 

Perhaps it was knowing how easy it could have been for Billy to always be as nice—as happy as he was that day. How easy it could have been for Billy to put away his mask and let down his barriers, but never having the security and freedom to actually do so. 

It felt foreign to Steve, seeing him so relaxed. It wasn’t like the careless facade Billy was typically known for, the kind that just barely prevented people from seeing his tense hostility at first glance. But rather a more easygoing openness that made him genuinely approachable. Steve was almost tempted to join the trio and get to know _that_ Billy.

But he didn’t and Steve regrets that now.

His tears begin to flow, crying for the man Billy could have been. The people he left behind, the people he saved when he sacrificed himself, for Max…

Steve cries for a chance wasted.

A stray leaf blows over Billy’s headstone, and to force himself to stop crying, Steve lets himself get distracted by something so mundane. His eyes follow the leaf up, up, up until it twirls above his head.

However, a bright blue light in the sky lures Steve from the leaf. The glow appears to be descending nearer towards him. 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50142249851/in/dateposted-public/)

As it falls further, Steve sees the light is actually framing a dark, still form. 

“Jesus, is that a body?!” Steve whips his head around, searching for another person in the vicinity who may have noticed a fucking levitating body. He’s alone. 

He has half a mind to call for help and starts to run back for his car. He makes a short distance before the body is close enough for him to recognize. He takes a quick glance back. 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50142488327/in/dateposted-public/)

“Billy?!” Steve makes a sharp turn around at the revelation, just barely catching himself from tripping on the muddy ground. He hovers where he thinks Billy will land, the floating body still a few feet above him. 

Oh, god! What does he do? His hands are trembling with the adrenaline coursing through him. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet prepared to do something but he has no idea what. Catch him?

Steve should probably catch him. 

He lifts his arms and spreads his legs apart. Steve could practically hear Billy berating him to “plant his feet” which makes Steve giggle hysterically for a moment. He never thought he’d actually welcome the advice but now, with his heart racing, he waits for Billy to come to him.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50142249836/in/dateposted-public/)

Once Billy’s presumably unconscious self is within eye-level of Steve, Steve could see that the light is radiating from Billy’s necklace. His clothing and hair are fluttering gently against him, also affected by the necklace’s freaky floating powers. The ring glows for a few seconds more even once Steve has Billy in his grasp like it’s making sure he's safe being cradled in Steve’s arms. 

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50141711888/in/dateposted-public/)

Steve breathes out Billy’s name and as if commanded, Billy begins to open his eyes. While Steve waits for a response, the blue glow slowly disappears and the ring rests itself against Billy’s chest. 

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169931266@N06/50142249881/in/dateposted-public/)

“Oh fuck!” The sudden weight catches Steve by surprise and he almost drops Billy. He has to squat to carry the weight of a full grown man, but he somehow manages it. 

“Harrington?!” Billy is fully awake now and, in panic, has wrapped his arms tightly around Steve’s neck. “What the fuck?!”

Upon hearing Billy’s voice after so long, Steve sobs out a semblance of a laugh, and the waterworks start back up again. 

“You’re home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is very short and more like a taste of an AU than anything else. If any of you make a Castle in the Sky AU please let me know. I am just living for magical Billy.


End file.
